Academic calendar
Autumn Quarter 2026 runs Sep 28, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer Session 1 (7 weeks) 2026
- Summer Session 1 (8 weeks) 2026
- Summer Session 1 (9 weeks) 2026Summer Session 1 2026
- Summer Quarter 2026
- Summer Session 2 (6 weeks) 2026Summer Session 2 2026
- Summer Session 3 (5 weeks) 2026Summer Session 3 2026
- Summer Session 3 (3 weeks) 2026
- Summer Session 4 (3 weeks) 2026
- Summer Session 4 (6 weeks) 2026Summer Session 4 2026
- September Term 2026
- Autumn Quarter 2026Relevant now
- Winter Quarter 2027
- Spring Quarter 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 40 of 40 terms
B
- Baker
- Baker Dining Commons, located within the North Residential Commons.
- Bart Mart
- The retail market and convenience store located within Bartlett Hall.
- Bartlett
- Bartlett Dining Commons, located in a former gymnasium.
- BJ
- Burton-Judson Courts, a residential commons known for its gothic architecture.
C
- C-Shop
- The coffee shop and convenience store located in the Reynolds Club.
- Cathey
- Cathey Dining Commons, the primary dining hall for students living on the south side of campus.
- ChoMUN
- Chicago Model United Nations, the university's premier competitive collegiate MUN conference.
D
- DOC
- Doc Films, the oldest student-run film society in the country, screening movies in Max Palevsky Cinema.
- Doc Films
- The Documentary Film Group, the oldest continuously running student film society in the U.S.
F
- Fourth Meal
- The late-night dining period offered at select dining commons, typically starting at 9:00 PM.
H
- Hallowed
- Hallowed Grounds, a student-run coffee shop and pool hall located on the second floor of the Reynolds Club.
- Hallowed Grounds
- A student-run coffee shop located on the second floor of the Reynolds Club.
- Hum/Sosc/Civ
- Shorthand for the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Civilizations core sequences.
- Hutch
- Hutchinson Commons, a gothic-style food court in the Reynolds Club.
I
- I-House
- International House, a residential hall and program center for graduate and undergraduate students.
- IOP
- The Institute of Politics, a non-partisan extracurricular hub for public service and political engagement.
M
- Maroon Dollars
- A form of campus currency included in meal plans for use at retail dining locations.
- Max P
- Max Palevsky Residential Commons, known for its distinct colorful brick design.
- MODA
- The university's premier student-run fashion organization and magazine.
- Munchie Mart
- On-campus convenience stores located in various residence halls and buildings.
N
- North
- North Residential Commons, a modern dorm located on the north side of campus.
O
- O-Week
- Orientation Week, the week of activities for incoming first-year students before classes begin.
- OCP
- Off-Off Campus, the university's oldest student improvisational theater and sketch comedy troupe.
R
- RSO
- Recognized Student Organization; the official designation for any student-led club.
S
- Scav
- The annual University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, a massive four-day event in May.
- Scav
- The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, a massive annual four-day event with a legendary list of items.
- SG
- Student Government, the representative body for the undergraduate and graduate student populations.
- Snitchcock
- A portmanteau for the Snell-Hitchcock Hall residential community.
- South
- South Residential Commons, a large dorm complex located near the Law School.
T
- The Core
- The common core curriculum, a set of required general education courses for all undergraduates.
- The Midway
- The Midway Plaisance, the large park that divides the north and south sides of campus.
- The Point
- Promontory Point, a man-made peninsula in Burnham Park popular for swimming and bonfires.
- The Quads
- The main quadrangles at the center of campus, often used for studying or events.
U
- UChicago Time
- The campus-wide convention that classes, meetings, and events start exactly 10 minutes after the scheduled time.
- UCIB
- The University of Chicago Investment Banking Group, a popular pre-professional club.
- UT
- University Theater, the primary student-led performing arts body on campus.
W
- Where fun comes to die
- A self-deprecating unofficial motto referencing the school's intense academic workload.
- Where Fun Goes to Die
- A popular, self-deprecating unofficial motto referring to the school's intense academic rigor.
- WHPK
- The campus radio station, broadcasting at 88.5 FM.
- Woodlawn
- Woodlawn Residential Commons, one of the newest and largest dorms on the south side of campus.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 171/172
- The specific CTA bus routes that provide free transportation around campus and Hyde Park for students.
- baker_dining_commons
- Baker Dining Commons
- bartlett_dining_commons
- Bartlett Dining Commons
- C-Shop
- The coffee shop and eatery located inside the Reynolds Club.
- Canvas
- The learning management system where professors post syllabi, assignments, and grades.
- cathey_dining_commons
- Cathey Dining Commons
- Crerar
- The John Crerar Library, which houses science, medicine, and technology collections.
- Harper
- Harper Memorial Library, specifically referring to the iconic 'Hogwarts-style' Arley D. Cathey Learning Center.
- Logan
- The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, a hub for creative practice and performance.
- Lyft Ride Smart
- A program providing students with free late-night Lyft rides within a specific campus boundary.
- Mansueto
- The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, famous for its grand glass-domed reading room.
- Maroon Dollars
- A form of campus currency included in meal plans that can be used at campus cafes and markets.
- my.UChicago
- The central student portal for registration, financial aid, and official records.
- Ratner
- The Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, the main campus gym and pool facility.
- Reynolds
- The Reynolds Club, the university's primary student activities and student union building.
- SafeRide
- A point-to-point nighttime transportation service available to students via a mobile app.
- Saieh
- Saieh Hall for Economics, the home of the Department of Economics.
- The Reg
- The Joseph Regenstein Library, the university's main research library.
- TransLoc
- The mobile app used to track the real-time location of campus shuttles and buses.
- U-Pass
- A CTA card provided to full-time students for unlimited rides on Chicago buses and trains.
- UChicago Safe
- The official mobile safety app providing quick access to campus security and emergency services.
- UChicago Time
- The campus-wide convention that classes and meetings begin exactly 10 minutes after the scheduled time.
- UCID
- The official student identification number and the physical card used for building access.
- UGo
- The campus shuttle system that provides free transportation around campus and the Hyde Park neighborhood.
- woodlawn_dining_commons
- Woodlawn Dining Commons
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Autumn Quarter 2026 runs Sep 28, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 40 approved campus terms and 25 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.